Why is it Important to Speak to Premature Babies?

Why is it Important to Speak to Premature Babies?

With the dissemination of medical knowledge, many young parents have already understood the importance of speaking to newborn babies, and this is especially crucial for premature infants. Premature babies may have underdeveloped faculties, leading to a delay in the onset of speech. A recent report by the "Times" website in the United States revealed that speaking to premature babies can significantly enhance their language abilities.

A research team from the Pediatrics Department at Brown University in the United States conducted an experimental study on a group of premature babies, during which they were exposed to more verbal communication from their parents after birth. Subsequently, when these premature babies reached 7 and 18 months of age, the researchers conducted tests to assess their cognitive and language skills. The results showed that for every 100 additional words spoken to premature babies, their language scores at 18 months increased by 2 percentage points, and their expressive language scores increased by 0.5 percentage points. The impact of parents talking more to premature babies on their language development was astonishing. This study indicates that from the moment of a baby's birth, even in the neonatal intensive care unit, parents should make an effort to speak to them using normal adult conversational tones. This practice has immeasurable significance for the child's future language development and even positively affects their cognitive and behavioral development.